Reboot Our Power
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· 32 viewsAs we celebrate Pentecost Sunday let's be reminded of the Holy Spirit's power promised to us.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Pentecost Defined:
Pentecost is significant in both the Old and New Testaments. “Pentecost” is actually the Greek name for a festival known in the Old Testament as the Feast of Weeks (Leviticus 23:15; Deuteronomy 16:9).
The Greek word means “fifty” and refers to the fifty days that have elapsed since the wave offering of Passover. The day of Pentecost was an annual feast celebrated on “the day after the seventh Sabbath” after Passover (Leviticus 23:15–16). It was a celebration of the firstfruits of the grain harvest that were presented as offerings to God (Leviticus 23:17).
The Baptism in the Holy Spirit
“All believers are entitled to and should ardently expect and earnestly seek the promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire, according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the normal experience of all in the early Christian Church. With it comes the enduement of power for life and service, the bestowment of the gifts and their uses in the work of the ministry.”
The Holy Spirit is a person . . . He is not a force. So, when we talk about the Spirit, we are not talking about a force of electricity. Yes, the Holy Spirit is powerful, but He is personal.
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
The Greek word for Spirit (pneuma) is neutral in gender, yet the Bible uses masculine pronouns “He” and “Him” to refer to the Holy Spirit. He’s not an “it,” He’s a He!
In this message we are going to revisit the person of the Holy Spirit and experience Him in a fresh way.
In this message we are going to revisit the person of the Holy Spirit and experience Him in a fresh way.
Possible Example: (Michelangelo’s work in the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City) Looking up to Michelangelo’s great painting of the Last Judgment, it was dark and faded. Over the last four centuries, there had been so many candles burning in the chapel, that the smoke had gradually put a layer of gray over the once-brilliant painting. It looked dark and unimpressive. Once cleaned, the beauty of the original artwork shone through again.
Today we are going to peel away the layers: tradition, experiences (good & bad), biases, etc...
Refresh Our Understand
Refresh Our Understand
The Holy Spirit is meant to be Understood
1 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
The Holy Spirit is meant to be Experience (they did both)
The Holy Spirit is best understood when experienced. It’s never sufficient to simply describe the Holy Spirit; you need to experience the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit wants to live with us daily.
At salvation, God puts His Holy Spirit in each believer.
19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
The experience of the Holy Spirit coming upon you—baptizing you—was so critical to the Early Church, that when they knew a Christian who had been saved, but not yet filled, they sent spiritual leadership to pray for that person.
14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
The baptism in the Holy Spirit experience is evidenced by a sign called speaking in tongues.
Why is “speaking in tongues” the evidence? While we don’t know for sure, one thought is that the tongue is the most unruly member of the body (James 3:5–8). So when we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, even the most unruly member of our body will show evidence of submission to Christ.
Too often we have reduced the baptism in the Holy Spirit to a one-time event, but Paul said, “Keep on being filled with the Spirit.”
Reference Acts 4: 31
18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,
Reignite Our Desire
Reignite Our Desire
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
Notice a few things that John reveals about the Holy Spirit:
(1) You don’t have to work for the Holy Spirit, you welcome Him. How? You welcome Him through your obedience.
15 “If you love me, keep my commands.
Christ wants us to have the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit . . . but obedience is the key to receiving.
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—
(2) You receive an Advocate, not an Assistant, in the Holy Spirit. What’s the difference? An assistant helps you with your agenda. An advocate instructs and sticks up for you.
26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.
The Advocate speaks truth and testifies about Jesus.
You have a divine reminder of important information.
26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
God speaks through ideas from the Holy Spirit. He gives you thoughts. He gives you suggestions. He puts impressions in your mind.
When the devil talks to you, that is temptation.
But when God talks to you, that is inspiration.
You have a godly conviction in regards to sin.
8 And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.
The Holy Spirit, working as our Advocate, gives us power, love, and perspective.
Replenish Our Fuel
Replenish Our Fuel
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Holy Spirit gives us power for ministry and life!
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
Holy Spirit gives us a new prayer language.
But there’s more!! So much more!!
The Holy Spirit enriches us with a greater LOVE than we are capable of giving by ourselves.
The Holy Spirit enriches us with a greater LOVE than we are capable of giving by ourselves.
Love is the only force that will overcome hate and fear!
Love has lost some of its distinction and true definition in today’s culture.
What is love? How do you define it?
Affection: takes delight in affirming others.
Friendship: Deep and deeply felt; togetherness; a sense of joy when two people are together. Golf buds or shopping partners.
Eros: a romantic, passionate kind of love; a love between lovers, those who are “in love.”
Agape: Highest form of love; gift love. Agape love longs to give what’s best unconditionally and regardless of the cost; selfless; seeking the highest good for the other person!
1 Corinthians 13 kind of love.
Power ~ Love ~ Perspective
Power ~ Love ~ Perspective
The Holy Spirit helps our perspective because His job is to magnify Jesus and aid us in understanding His plan for our lives!
There are a lot of people who are anxious about the future. But the psalms encourage us.
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?
10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
When the enemy brings fear remember the Holy Spirit, your advocate, wants to give you POWER, LOVE, & PERSPECTIVE!